The New Zealand Cancer Control Trust
The New Zealand Cancer Control Trust was established in February 2001 with funding from the Cancer Society of New Zealand and the Child Cancer Foundation.
Thanks to the ongoing support from the Cancer Society, its Divisions and the Child Cancer Foundation, the Trust has made considerable progress working with the Ministry of Health in developing the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy. Without the support from these three sources (amounting to $ $676,000 between February 2001 and April 2004), very limited action would have been possible. Since its establishment the Trust has generated $120,000 through contract work with the Ministry of Health and a $50,000 grant from the Genesis Oncology Trust, but relies primarily on the support received from the Cancer Society and its Divisions.
Achievements of the Trust during its first financial year are summarised in its 2001 annual report. The following report outlines the activities of the Trust during its second financial year (July 2002 – June 2003).
Cancer Control Steering Group
The Trust has continued to take an active role in the expertise-based Cancer Control Steering Group (CCSG) formed in October 2001 to oversee development of the strategy following a commitment from Minister of Health Annette King.
Established by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the New Zealand Cancer Control Trust, the group has been chaired by Dr Colin Tukuitonga, Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health. Dr Chris Atkinson, oncologist, former President of the Cancer Society of New Zealand and Deputy Chair of the Trust, has been deputy chair of the CCSG. The CCSG includes all Trustees and staff of the Cancer Control Trust. The Steering Group reports to the Minister of Health, via both the Chair and Deputy Chair.
Expert Working Groups
As recommended in background papers prepared by the Trust under contract to the Ministry of Health in 2001, the CCSG established five expert working groups administered by the Trust with funding from the Ministry of Health and Divisions of the Cancer Society. These groups, which addressed prevention, screening and early detection, treatment, support and rehabilitation and palliative care, met 2-3 times between April and July 2002 to identify priorities for action for the New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy. Reports of the groups are available on the websites of the Trust and the Ministry of Health.
Cancer Control Secretariat
During the 2002-03 year the Cancer Control Secretariat has continued to administer the functions and implement the decisions of the CCSG and provide support for the Expert Working Groups. Reflecting the partnership between the Trust and the Ministry, membership of the Secretariat includes staff of both organizations, some of whom are also members of the CCSG.
Cancer Control Discussion Document
On 5 December 2002 Health Minister Annette King released for consultation
the discussion document Towards a Cancer Control Strategy for New
Zealand – Marihi Tauporo produced by the Cancer Control Steering
Group, with significant input from Trust members of the group. Consultation
on the document, which took place between 5 December 2002 and 14
March 2003, included 19 public forums (attended by Trust staff who
took notes) and written submissions from a range of government agencies,
DHBs, cancer organizations, health professional bodies and community
groups. These included submissions from the Cancer Society of New
Zealand and the Child Cancer Foundation.
Development of the Strategy
The analysis of consultation feedback has informed the development of the definitive New Zealand Cancer Control Strategy. Betsy Marshall, in her role as the Cancer Control Trust’s Project Manager, assumed a key role in writing the definitive strategy, taking into consideration 114 written submissions and feedback from the consultation forums. The draft was submitted for editing on 12 June, with the finalised draft submitted to the Minister of Health in early July; launch of the strategy is scheduled for 25 August.
Implementation Workshop
From May 2003 planning has been underway for a national implementation workshop in Wellington on 30 September and 1 October 2003. Organised by the Trust in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, with funding from the Genesis Oncology Trust, the workshop will bring together key stakeholders, from both the government and non-government sectors.
International Cancer Control Networks
With funding from the Trust and the Cancer Society of New Zealand,
the Executive Director and Project Manager of the Trust attended
the 18th UICC International Cancer Congress in Oslo, Norway from
30 June to 5 July 2002. International information obtained by attendance
at the conference reinforces the views of the Trust that:
The Trust continues to develop and expand its overseas cancer control contacts, particularly in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Involvement with overseas initiatives includes membership of a group planning an international cancer control implementation conference to be held in Canada in 2005 and input into the development of a UICC cancer control network. Along with the Director and Deputy Director of the Australian National Cancer Control Initiative, the Executive Director of the Trust authored an editorial in The New Zealand Medical Journal comparing progress on cancer control in Australia and New Zealand published in April 2003. Commentary from Associate Professor Chris Atkinson, Trustee, was also included in the journal.
Conclusions
New Zealand will soon have a Cancer Control Strategy. It will be a high level document with aims, principles, goals and objectives and will form the basis of a coordinated national programme to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer. It has been developed by the government (Ministry of Health) and non-government sector (represented by the Trust) working together. The next challenge is to develop an implementation plan that includes an effective mechanism to ensure the national program is ongoing and effective. Ensuring effective implementation of the strategy is essential to the future control of cancer in New Zealand and will require continued initiative from both the government and non-government sectors.
Acknowledgements
I wish to sincerely thank and acknowledge the Cancer Society of New Zealand, the Divisions of the Cancer Society and the Child Cancer Foundation for their support of the Trust and the work it is undertaking.
I also with to thank the Trustees and the staff of the Trust for the time and personal commitment they have shown to this important initiative. The very high calibre of the staff of the Trust has been vital to the success of its work.
Brian Cox
Chair, New Zealand Cancer Control Trust
25 August 2003